In a rather forgettable season, Juventus had their nine-year reign as Serie A champions ended by rivals Inter Milan in 2020/21.

An embarrassing loss to Porto saw the Old Lady bow out of the Champions League round of 16.

The sacking of Andrea Pirlo seemed inevitable.

Massimiliano Allegri has now returned to his former club, where he won five consecutive Serie A titles. He will be eager to bring Juve back to the top.

In a bid to revamp the squad, the Italian giants are looking to bolster their midfield.

Manuel Locatelli is reportedly the number one midfield target for Juventus. He has also been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool.

Juventus vice president Pavel Nedved: “We’re in talks with Sassuolo to sign Locatelli. We’re convinced we made the right bid to reach an agreement, we’re really confident to complete the deal as soon as possible”. ⚪️⚫️ #Locatelli

To be clear. Liverpool are NOT in the race. #LFC

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 31, 2021

Player Background

Locatelli is a product of AC Milan’s youth academy. He earned his first professional contract for the Rossoneri back in 2015.

Working his way up the youth ranks, Locatelli was deemed as an exciting talent across Italy.

During his three-year spell in AC Milan’s first team, he made 48 first-team appearances, scoring twice.

However, the arrival of Gennaro Gattuso as head coach in 2017 saw him drop down the pecking order.

The Italian joined Serie A side Sassuolo on loan with an obligation to buy for €12.5 million-plus bonuses.

The 23-year-old has elevated his game at Sassuolo and is currently one of the best midfielders in Serie A.

Playing Style

Locatelli often plays on the left of a midfield pivot as a deep-lying playmaker. He acts as the ‘controller’ and dictates tempo from midfield.

His quick one-touch passing and movement allow Sassuolo to bypass the opposition press and progress the ball vertically up the pitch.

He is comfortable receiving the ball under pressure with his back to goal and always makes himself available during the build-up.

Locatelli is tactically astute and finds himself adopting different roles in Roberto De Zerbi’s system.